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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. vault — a safe
  4. kick — in football
  5. kid — child
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. land — to come down
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. fall — the season
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. mine — for digging
  23. fall — to drop
  24. kid — to tease

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com